School of Broken Wings

by C. R. Jane

  There is no time wasted for the angel to collect the child. The man collapses to his knees and sobs into his hands. His sorrow aches in my chest at his loss, giving up the child.

  Swiftly, the angel places an index finger on the center of the baby’s brow. A spark of light bursts from the touch outward.

  Brightness swallows my world, and I’m taken away.

  When I open my eyes this time, I’m standing outside an old cottage in the woods where the same angel places the baby in a basket at the front door. The child’s legs are kicking and wrapped around her wrist is a dusty pink ribbon.

  I blink at the ribbon, my heart clenching. I recall what my parents had told me when they revealed they weren’t my biological parents.

  One night we found you on our doorstep in a basket. That ribbon was tied to your wrist, and the feather tangled inside your messy blonde hair.

  I choke on my breath as I watch the angel lean over and place her finger on the baby’s brow. Bright light expels outward once again, tearing away the image and me with it.

  Scene after scene I watch of the angel delivering the child to the front doorstep of another home and another. Each time in a basket and with a ribbon around her wrist.

  Tears collect in my eyes as the pieces all fall together of my life. Of how many times I’ve been taken and given to another family to start a new life. How many times have I experienced love from strangers. All these families, taking me in and bringing me up as their own.

  There's sadness at watching myself being passed on, life after life. Each time the angel wipes my memories. That’s what touching my brow does. It’s why I remember nothing of my past.

  Except, I’ve lived so many lives, that I don’t know who I am anymore.

  Sorrow billows in my chest when we land at the last house.

  My current parents’ home. The white front door, steps leading up to it, the unkempt flower garden.

  I hiccup a breath and wipe my eyes, but the tears never stop. So many moments I’ve been forced to forget.

  The white light comes again one final time. It stings my eyes and lasts longer than the others.

  It dissolves around me, and I blink to clear the haziness in my eyes. I’m kneeling in the long grass near the Fairy Pools. I’m back where I began.

  “Adi!” Alexander calls out. A welcoming, loving voice that leaves me choked up.

  I scramble to my feet and turn to all my men coming my way. It’s the best image in the world. I run to them and let them embrace me. I need all the comfort I can get right now.

  Braxton wipes a tear from my cheek. “What happened?”

  My chin trembles, and I throw myself against him, burying my face in his chest.

  “Adi?” Finn asks, asthe others close in and I hear their caring voices.

  I look up at them, at the devotion in their eyes.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Dante asks.

  “I don’t want to ever forget any of you.”

  Nyx reaches over and touches me, as does Connor who says, “There’s no way you ever will.”

  Except they don’t know what I do, and that makes me cry even more.

  Chapter 10

  Memories cloud my mind.

  I look up into Alexander’s blue eyes as he holds me. He stares at me with a softness in his gaze, like he sees a different person when he looks my way. I just finished telling all of them what I encountered in the Fairy Pools.

  After that, we all fall silent in a moment of hard realization. I’ve lived so many lives, over and over, never remembering any of them. I’m still no closer to understanding what my powers are or how I’m meant to defeat the council. Instead, the ritual revealed the curse I’ve been under for god knows how long.

  “What if I’m taken to start a new life and all my memories are wiped?” I’m trembling, and I can’t imagine a life without them.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” Alexander’s voice is smooth and clear. His fingers press into my back as he holds me desperately close. “Because if you do, we’ll find you again and again. I’m not losing you.”

  I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, except now isn’t the time for either.

  “Hey, look at me.” Alexander’s finger slides under my chin, and he lifts my head. “I mean every word.”

  I nod and lift myself to reach him. Our mouths merge, scorching hot lips seal themselves around mine. He kisses me until all I can think about is the flame burning inside me. This beautiful vampire draws back from me and smiles. He knows exactly how to calm me down.

  “We should go back to the lodge before it gets too cold,” he says.

  I nod. “I’m ready.”

  Each of my men stay close to me. They don’t say it, but I know my story scared them into worrying that I’ll be taken from them.

  Right now, I want to return to the lodge and be as far from the Fairy Pools as possible. I want to somehow pretend I am normal...anything to stop the emotions crashing over me.

  By the time we reach the lodge, the sun is set and I don’t have the stomach for food. I’m in my room getting changed out of the wet clothes and putting on warm, clean ones.

  A knock comes at the door.

  “Yeah,” I call out. “Come in.”

  The door opens, and Connor sticks his head in. “Can we talk?” His voice is strong and determined, as if he’s ready to get something off his mind.

  “Sure, come in.”

  He shakes his head. “Meet me out the back where it’s just us two without any interruptions. There’s something I want to ask you.”

  He doesn’t wait for my response, just pulls back and shuts the door, his footsteps fading. After the day I’ve had, I want nothing more than to crash on a couch and let all the information sink in. But with our past and my growing attraction to Connor, we should probably talk. Once dressed, I step into my shoes and slip out of the room. The other guys are all in another room chatting or watching television.

  The air outside carries a chill. I tighten my arms around myself and scan the yard behind the lodge for Connor.

  He’s standing farther away in the field, closer to the explosion of trees. He wasn’t kidding about wanting to ensure we were away from the rest of them. I make my way over.

  "What did you want to talk about, Connor?" I ask him, staring up at the night sky. There's nothing out here and I don't think I've ever seen more stars in my life. It just adds to the mystical feel of this place. It's easy to believe that magic happens here.

  "I want a chance," he tells me, and my heart kick starts inside of me.

  "I don't think now is the time to talk about this," I tell him quietly.

  "Please. Just listen to me. There's never going to be a right time with how our lives are going. I have to tell you some things."

  "I don’t want to hear them!" I tell him belligerently, and I know it’s fear that's making me act this way. Fear that I'll get hurt again.

  "Why?" He raises his voice. "Because you’re scared you’ll believe me, or because you’ll have to admit you feel something?"

  He’s right, and he knows he’s right.

  Connor catches my arm and pulls me towards him. I’m caught in his grip, the hard planes of his chest against mine, and I’m hyperaware of the thin material of our shirts as the only barrier between us. The warmth and scent of him engulfs me. He walks us backwards until we're hidden just within the first line of trees.

  "Every time I look at you it hurts. Really fucking hurts, Adeline. I feel like I had this chance to have it all, and I've lost it.”

  His words pierce my armor.

  "Connor…"

  "I’ve never connected to a person before you. I've been alone forever. Nothing but my training and my duty. And then I met you...I know you felt the same connection to me. I'll say sorry for what happened for the rest of my life. But please, just give me a chance."

  The sincerity in his words and his earnest expression strips away another layer of my defense. He moves to cup my chin, and
I don’t back away.

  "I'm in love with you. I'm in love with everything about you. You brought light to my world, Adi. I can't live anymore without having you. Being friends with you will never be enough."

  I let out a small sigh as he places his lips on mine, sending a wave of sensation through my body, and the last part of rationality slips away. I’m lost the moment his mouth touches mine, the connection he talks about fusing us.

  We've been connected from the start, and I can't deny that.

  Hesitantly, he pulls me to him by my hips and slides his hand up my back. The way our bodies shape against each other pulls us into an intense world where only we exist. The moment I respond to his kiss, his mouth claims mine. He runs his tongue along my bottom lip, and I part my mouth, allowing him to kiss me deeply. Losing my grasp on anything but the warmth of Connor and the places our bodies touch, I grip his hair and tangle my tongue with his. He tastes of chocolate and longing, and he's everything I want.

  Connor moves to kiss my neck, his stubble scraping along my skin and sending heat to the center of me. He places his lips gently against the sensitive spot beneath my ear, encircling my waist so the charged gap between our bodies disappears completely. His hair tickles as he moves to planting kisses along my throat, before crushing his mouth against mine again.

  Unable to breathe from the intensity, I pull away as air pushes from my lungs in short bursts. Convinced my legs are about to collapse, I hang onto his arm, and his grip around my waist tightens. His arousal is evident against my hip, spiking my own in return. Connor places his forehead on mine, his breath heating my skin.

  "Be mine, Adeline," he says softly. "Not now or not tonight. Be in my life."

  "What about the others?" I whisper. "Could you ever really share with your enemies?"

  "I don't care if those assholes have you, as long as I have you too," he whispers.

  He holds my face in both hands, his tone earnest and I know he truly believes his words.

  He unbuttons the first few buttons on my shirt. The soft touch ignites me, and I'm desperate for his hands on my body. I run trembling hands along his back, dragging my fingers across the ridges of muscle hidden beneath his shirt. Connor pauses his efforts and grips my hips, pulling me close. He runs his nose along the sensitive spot at the base of my neck, his breathing heavy to match mine.

  "Tell me to stop if this isn't what you want," he says against my neck, the heat of his mouth burning my skin. The shaking mass of arousal I’ve become could never refuse. I’ve stepped away from my opportunity to step out of his life and I know why—because Connor's filled a gap in my life too.

  I can't deny it anymore. Slipping the shirt from my shoulders, he nips my shoulder then plants soft kisses towards the top of my breasts, palming the soft mounds through my cotton bra. I pull his shirt upwards. Connor helps, exposing the smooth lines of his chest. I run my fingers along his chest, hands across his shoulders, then trace his arms.

  I hungrily drag my gaze across his smooth chest, taking in the sight of his rock-hard abs and the lines disappearing into his jeans. Connor doesn’t have us stand for long. He kneels in front of me and slowly undoes my pants, sliding them down my legs slowly as he drags kisses down my skin as it appears.

  I sink to the ground with him. I'm only faintly aware of the cold ground and dead leaves under my skin, because as soon as his naked chest meets mine, the contrast of the softness of his skin over the unyielding strength of his muscles undoes me further. I arch my back as he slides a hand beneath my bottom, my hardened nipples brushing against him. Connor groans as his rigid length presses against my increasingly sensitive sex through my underwear. He pulls my leg around his waist and nibbles on my lip as I gasp for breath, drowning in the moment. My underwear disappears next, and then my heart hammers as our mouths meet, teeth clashing with the raw intensity of the kiss.

  Connor takes my wrists in one broad hand, and holds my arms above my head. I make a breathless sound as his rough kisses shift towards my breasts, before he closes his mouth around my pebbled nipple. He pushes my legs apart with his knee, his fingers traveling up my inner thigh until he discovers my wet center. I buck against him as he slips a finger inside, moving his mouth back to mine. His tongue thrusts into my mouth, matching the movement of his finger, and I move against him, pushing myself against the palm of his hand. For what feels like eternity, I drown in the sensation of his attention to my body as his expert kisses and touches bringing me to the brink and then lets me go again, over and over, until I can't take the building pressure anymore.

  "Connor..." I jerk against his grip on my hands.

  He releases my hands and kneels back. "Too much?"

  "Not enough," I say, hands going towards his jeans. I unbutton them as he watches me through heavy-lidded eyes. He smiles as he pulls off his jeans and briefs.

  The whole thing feels very animalistic as I become very aware of just how naked we are right now at the edge of the forest. I've never done anything like this, yet it feels so incredibly right.

  My breath hitches as I run my fingertips along his shaft. Connor sucks air between his teeth and shakes his head at me. "I'm too close," he whispers as he closes his eyes in pleasure.

  He pulls away from me and then nudges my legs apart before pushing against me. I gasp as the tip of him touches my clit, and I swear I'm going to come before he's inside me.

  I shift, allowing him to slide towards my wet core, trembling in anticipation of finally being with him like this.

  Connor thrusts into me, hard, and I almost cry out. He stills, aware of my tensing, then pulls out so he's barely inside. "I love you, Adeline," he says, "I fucking love you."

  The emotion is clear in his darkened gaze, and I nod, unable to speak. Why am I crying? A tear escapes, and he kisses it away gently, before thrusting back into me hard. This time, I do cry out, overwhelmed by the new connection to Connor, wanting more of him, but aware he's already given me everything he has, body, heart and soul.

  He moves slowly at first, eyes still fixed on mine, before increasing the urgency. The pressure builds as the movement bumps my clit. He pulls up one of my legs, and I curl it around his hip. I dig my fingernails into his tense shoulders, and he kisses me, the movement of his tongue matching the push of his hips. Everything overwhelms into a world of sensation as I spiral upwards towards the edge of his galaxy again, eyes dancing with stars. All I can feel is Connor, inside me, over me, consuming me, and I clutch his waist, giving in to the supernova explosion of my orgasm. Lost in his world, I'm aware of his hips tensing before he thrusts hard into me one more time, swearing as he comes. I wind my arms around him, holding his damp body against mine, his rapid heartbeat slowing.

  Connor covers my face with kisses, and I relax back against the ground with my eyes closed.

  This is what it feels like to finally be complete...

  Chapter 11

  A scream bleeds into the morning, ripping me from my sleep.

  I startle out of bed, waiting for my brain to catch up. Braxton leaps out of bed next, naked and delicious, then the rest of them get up from where they fell asleep… bed, floor, couch. They look dazed. After visiting the Fairy Pools yesterday, none of the guys wanted to sleep in a separate room from me.

  “Did you hear a scream?” I ask as I frantically grab my jeans and drag them on, followed by my tank top, then my blouse.

  “I definitely heard it,” Finn says.

  Stepping into my boots, I rush out of the room behind Alexander, who takes the lead.

  The hallway of the lodge is eerily silent. We veer into the main room, where the owner of the lodge has her back pressed to the wall, her arms curled around her middle. Her face is pale as milk, and she’s staring at the rear door.

  “What happened?” Braxton rushes to her side, while Dante and Nyx dart across the room to look out the back through the window.

  She wipes her tears with the back of her hand, her chin trembling. “There’s something out there,
” she whispers. “Don’t go out there.”

  “We have company,” Dante throws the words over his shoulder at us.

  Shivers shoot down my back and legs and all the way to my toes. Alexander and Finn dart over to him, while Finn stays close to me.

  “Do you have somewhere to hide in here?” Braxton is taking the woman by the arm and drawing her away from the wall.

  She nods her head.

  “Then go there now and take anyone else working here. Go and hide, and don’t come out until we come and collect you.”

  Her fear is palpable. She takes Braxton’s advice and hastily rushes toward the bedroom and out of sight. It’s awful to see others so terrified. I hate that we might have brought the danger to her doorstep.

  In a heartbeat, the front door smashes open. Wood splinters, the sound deafening, and fragments of timber morph into projectiles.

  I duck and cover my head as a cry spills from my lips.

  Then commotion breaks out like a great storm descending upon us. Two men wearing suits walk into the lodge as if they own the place. Anywhere else and I’d think they’re gangsters, the mafia, or any other organized crime leaders. Except, they are so much worse.

  They belong to the Vampire Council. And they’re here for me, ready to mow down anyone standing in their way.

  My stomach tightens. This is going to end badly.

  The windows suddenly shatter around us, spraying us in pebbled glass. Vampires crash into the house and roll inside.

  My men are running in every direction as utter pandemonium explodes.

  Finn seizes my arm and shoves me to stand behind him. My feet tangle under me, but I catch myself.

  I feel my chest lock.

  I can’t keep hunkering down and hiding. The council will never stop coming for me, they’ll hunt me to the edges of the world and kill my men to do it. There’s only one way…and it’s for me to fight back.

  Finn is ripped away from me by two vampires.

  I reach after him, but he roars and attacks them savagely. He slams one man to the ground, then lunges at the other’s throat and rips it out. With his pale hair and savage grin, he looks more like an avenging angel than I ever will have a chance to.